Photo by Jake Olson: Fairmont's Joe Long winds up to pitch during the fourth inning of Friday night's contest against Esko at Herb Wolf Field.

FAIRMONT – Joe Long tossed four strong innings and the Fairmont bats awoke from Thursday’s game against Marshall, scoring in all but one frame to top Esko 12-4 during Friday night’s contest at Herb Wolf Field.

“The guys came back today and played great defense again while getting a few more key hits when we needed them,” Fairmont High School baseball head coach Don Waletich said following the contest. “It was a fun, good game for us to get into the win column this year, especially against a good team, which is always even more encouraging.”

Cardinal lead-off hitter Nolyn Goerndt finished the night with three hits at the plate, one of which was a bases-clearing double in the sixth inning to ultimately put the game out of reach. At least seven other Fairmont batters recorded a hit. Waletich credited the bounce-back effort to the increased repetition they see game by game.

“[It’s] just getting more live at-bats,” Waletich said. “Hitters are behind on pitchers during this time of the year, so you have to just keep throwing guys out there to see live pitching and get their timing down.”

Long was seamless during his first four innings of the 2026 season. Allowing just a handful of hits, the senior used his consistency in the strike zone to limit the Esko batting order. He finished with four strikeouts and one earned run.

“He’s our senior and has been pitching a couple of years for us,” Waletich said. “We lean on him for throwing strikes, which he did. He’s always around the plate, and it’s always a boost when he can come in and throw for us.”

Fairmont’s offense gave the right-hander plenty of run support when he was on the rubber.

The Cardinals showed their most consistent inning of the early season during the home half of the third. A walk from Vincent Schultz and singles from Brayden Williamson and Merritt Pomerenke loaded the bases with one out on the board.

Joseph Hackett’s fielder’s choice RBI was sandwiched by two more hits from Goerndt and Jensen Livesay, bringing in four runs that boosted Fairmont’s lead to 7-0.

“In baseball, if you get guys in the order stringing hits together, you score runs,” Waletich said. “Sometimes it’s hard to put hits together like that. …We just put the ball in play and made them [Esko] make plays.”

Goerndt’s big sixth-inning hit came after Vincent Schultz, Mac Larson and Preston Geerdes loaded up the bases with one out. Larson reached on a single while Schultz and Geerdes earned a trip to the base paths via walk and hit-by-pitch. Hackett added the final run with a sacrifice flyout to center field.

Williamson came in for relief midway through the fifth inning and ultimately finished the game. He recorded three strikeouts while giving up two earned runs.

The Cardinals are back in action next Monday against Luverne at Herb Wolf Field. First pitch is set to start at 4:30 p.m.